The Girl Behind the Mask
by munchin munchkin
Summary: This is my first fanfiction so no flaming. This story was inspired by the fanfiction "Ikigai" by Lanse. Just another fanfiction of a strong Hinata capturing Sasuke. Trust me, it's not the first of its kind.
1. A Flash of White

The Girl Behind the Mask

By: Yoru Nekozawa-sensei

Chapter 1: A Flash of White

The entire village was destroyed. Buildings that took years to build fell in minutes. Lifetimes of effort, struggles and accomplishments lay as rubble at the feet of the only living man within miles of the forsaken place.

It only made sense for him to be the only one left, for he was the one who destroyed the village after all.

The man stood tall and alert, though he knew there were no survivors, he also knew that the village had sent for help prior to his arrival. His former ninja village was the only one close to his current location. With the place in mind he had figured he would meet "them" again.

"They" are an elite band of ninja. Two of "them" were his abandoned teammates, while the remaining male was, he had guessed, his replacement. The fourth and final member had always remained a mystery to him.

Just as though he had called them, they had appeared. Four ANBU elite. The leader had the blonde hair that the man had grown accustomed to in the past shown with an intensity that challenges the sun, while the ocean blue eyes that sat below it threatened to penetrate his own obsidian pair. He would have looked mildly threatening if it wasn't for the fox mask that was perched on his crown giving him the appearance of an angry drunk. His pink haired partner had a less comical look of threat in a shade of spring green and a medical ninja mask of a bird hanging on her side.

The remaining two stood as ANBU should, straight, firm and alert with their masks on their faces. He had only seen the male unmasked once when he had taken the liberty of slicing it in half. He will never forget seeing eyes so similar to his only to be framed by a stark white complexion adorned with a small plastic smile.

However, the female was the only one who had somehow escaped his sword. The only thing he could gather was that she was around his age and had long purple black hair that was currently held back in a ponytail behind her own medical mouse mask. The only things missing from this picture was a name and a face.

This is why he always thought of her. Not many were able to evade him the way she did. And he was a man that liked to keep track of those with notable power. He had scouted the village, but never found her. He had searched through every book of bounties he could get his hands on, but never saw her mask or any other significant clue.

He was determined to know who she was. Only so he could destroy her to the fullest extent. The more time he spent on the girl the more frustrated he got with himself for wasting valuable training time. He was a man that didn't like distractions and this girl was very distracting, that much was certain.

As he struggled to control his mental state, the blonde was speaking, vaguely aware that the man he was speaking to wasn't giving him the slightest bit of attention. After a while he grew annoyed at the blonde's rambling and decided to end the little encounter.

"Are you done, dobe?"

"Only if you were listening, Sasuke-teme."

"I don't have time to listen to your stupidity sort itself out now, Naruto. So why don't you just let me go since we both know you can't catch me."

"Alright, but only if you can beat all four of us."

Sasuke almost smiled at his idiocy. He was fairly sure that Konoha had gotten wind of the death of Itachi and Orochimaru, both by his hand, of course.

"Fine. Should I take you all at once or one at a time?"

He turned to find his answer running at him in four different directions.

"All at one, I guess."

He jumped into the air to simultaneously dodge their attack while arming himself with his faithful sword. As he had expected, they had surrounded him with a swarm of blonde clones that attacked him from every direction. He eliminated half of them with one slice of his lightening blade and landed on a taller mountain of rubble.

Looking down on the two males of the team, one was summoning more clones while the other was giving life to his ink monsters. He kept his senses open to trace the females of the group only to see a flash of pink while he evaded the lethal punch that would have surely reduced him to less than the dust of the mountain he was previously on.

Landing in a tree he had summoned a lightening clone to take his place in battle. His clone couldn't be touched, being made of light, and those who passed through it were zapped senseless. He felt no need to turn his sharingan on. He felt that he could just skip around enough then the crumbling land beneath them would give way and allow him to escape. Maybe that was his mistake, chance or perhaps it was his ego getting in his way. For the next thing he saw was a flash of white and then almost frightening darkness.


	2. The Angry ManChild

The Girl Behind the Mask

By: Yoru Nekozawa-sensei

Chapter 2: The Angry Man-Child

The Hokage was in her office when the news arrived. Her twin blonde tails were resting on her back as numerous sake bottles filled the space around her. Her black haired assistant clutched their pet pig in fright of the smoldering amber eyes that lay in the fearsome leader's head.

Though she was scared she knew that her Hokage had a right to be so agitated. They had both just received word that Uchiha Sasuke has been apprehended and now is unconscious in the hands of their finest ANBU squad.

She had many questions for both the squad and Sasuke. How was he still alive? Why didn't he come back to the village after killing his teacher and then his brother? How was it possible that the team had captured him without as much as a scratch?

Along with these questions came many concerns. Sasuke was a dangerous man who had eliminated two of the village's most dangerous enemies. This would lessen the sentence and free him from the death penalty only to get him a lifetime of prison, but somehow this sentence didn't sit well with the Hokage. She had believed that he didn't deserve such a harsh punishment.

She knew he was dangerous and seen as an enemy by most, but so had a certain blonde fox for most of his life. Of course that was until he had saved the very village that had shunned him, repeatedly in fact. No, Tsunade believed with her gut that there was more to Uchiha Sasuke then people thought and feared.

However she had no idea what to do with the man currently being delivered to her office. On one hand, she could tell him the truth about his brother, but that would most likely lead to another betrayal of the village. On the other hand, she could put him in mental therapy after stripping him of his power and sealing it away with a jutsu she had specially designed for powerful mislead teenagers.

This was probably the best solution. After all, he was only 17 years old. A legal adult with the mind of an angry child. He had the right to have the Uchiha compound under his care, but Tsunade had a different plan for the unsuspecting raven.

A small smile played on her lips, frightening her assistant more as her thought of the young Uchiha's reaction to her plan. She might have not been as strategic as the Third, but she had enough common sense to see how things would play out. And in her sandy blonde head, things turned out almost amusingly.

"Shizune!" she voiced, breaking the concentrated fear of her former lover's niece.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Have Kakashi standing before me within 5 minutes!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama" she repeated before tearing out of the office.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Trapped.

That was the one word that fully defined the way he was feeling as of that moment. The constant swaying of his vessel told him they were on the move, the eerie quiet told him that they knew he was awake.

His sharingan had betrayed him in his ramen scented prison, but even without it he could feel and sense the seals using his own chakra to keep him captive.

With a sigh he decided to just sit back and come up with an escape plan. He thought of those he would have to deal with once his shipping crate was opened. Naruto, Sakura, Hokage, probably Kakashi, the Plastic Smile, and most likely the mystery girl. His brows furrowed at the thought of her and his mind wandered back to the moments before his capture.

'I was hidden in the tree with my clone at my side. I watched the others prepare for an attack. I saw a flash of white and then…..nothing.'

His eyes flashed open at the memory. Nothing? Nothing! Nothing. Uchiha Sasuke had been knocked out before, but not for a very long time. He thought again of the flash of white. It had not been one cause by pain. He felt nothing before he fell unconscious. It hadn't been one from sickness either. Other than the nausea from the smell of ramen and the drained feeling from the thieving seals, he was the picture of health. If it was neither of those, then what had it been?

Focusing more on them, he realized that it wasn't a flash but a pair. A pair of eyes that had stunned him long enough for something to knock him unconscious. He had remembered a strange sense that he had seen those eyes before. Searching his memory he had found the face of a young Hyuuga Neji. His eyes were fiercer and colder than the ones he had met. He knew for a fact that his captor was not the Hyuuga prodigy for he was male and his captor was clearly female.

Sasuke scowled when he realized he was thinking of her again. How long was she to plague his thoughts with her mysterious air? How long was he to be trapped before he had a chance to rip that cursed mask off and tear her to shreds? He blamed her for his capture. Not only for capturing him herself, but for distracting him from his training and making him weak enough to even be captured. He hated her.

His cage jolted and snapped him out of his inner rampage. He calmed his breathing and decided to focus his senses on his captors. It was very obvious that Naruto was carrying him, so he tried to focus on the other chakras near him. He sensed a weaker one that flared up every now and then and labeled it a Sakura. The other two were hard to identify since they were almost impossibly similar. Focusing more he sensed chakra strings attached to the seals and him from one of them. His past battles had told him that the ink wielding ANBU didn't have this ability, and he came to irritating conclusion that "she" was trapping him.

This new knowledge only fueled his hate for her more. He began to snicker at the realization that he this mysterious girl was leading him in a circle of hate. Yes, he would destroy her, but not just physically. That would be no justice to his pride. No, he was going to destroy her to fullest.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Naruto gave his cargo load a suspicious look. The others look at him questioningly and he just shook his head and continued on. They were near the village now. It almost pained the fox shinobi to have seen this day come at last, the day when Uchiha Sasuke would return to the village. Naruto had always hoped that Sasuke would return on his own, either from finally accomplishing his goals or just from being homesick, but this bit of light was extinguished after hearing the new news of Itachi's death and Sasuke's declaration on never retuning.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'No matter how trained he was as a ninja, his face was always to honest for his own good.' thought one Haruno Sakura. Her green eyes constantly flickered to her blonde teammate and the container on his back. 'Sasuke. Why?' It was a stupid and vague question, but valid nonetheless. She knew just as well as Naruto, the pain of losing someone, the hope of finding them, and the shock of realizing they are lost forever. But Sakura was as stubborn as her Master. She would bring Sasuke back to his old self. Even if that means beating him within an inch of his life with her own 2 hands. She just hope it would never have to come to that.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Kakashi gave a blank look to the twin-tailed konoichi behind the desk. Hearing the news of his former student's return is not something he was accustomed to hearing. He wished it had been of Sasuke's own choice, but gave into the thought of faith playing its own game.

"Kakashi, what do you think of my plan?"

His thoughts were muddled with the possible consequences. Consequences that greatly out-numbered the possible rewards, but given Konoha's lucky streak, he thought this one final gamble would be worth it. He gave an approving nod to the Hokage just in time for a knock at the door. A small dark haired head popped into the room to alert them of Sasuke's arrival.

As the door opened, the four elite ANBU walked in accordingly.


	3. The Mask Falls

**A/N: APOLOGY**

I am so sorry for those who were waiting for almost a year for my update. Recently I had taken a high level English class and I was holding off on writing so that I can hone in on my skills. I still have a terribly long way to go and I have to learn how to properly lengthen my stories so that each chapter actually looks like a chapter and not another excerpt.

~sigh~ excuses aside, i decided to lengthen the original goal of 15 chapters to 25 as self punishment. I am also working on some Skip Beat fanfiction and some for Ouran High Host club, but I plan on posting those once they are fully completed so that i don't have anyone yanking my chains. :^D

Please tell me about any pairing you find me worthy of writing about and I'll do my best. Currently I am polishing up the chapters that I have written before without publishing. With my new writing skills, I am finding many flaws -_-

Please bear with me...and ENJOY!

* * *

The Girl Behind the Mask

By: Yoru Nekozawa-sensei

Chapter 3: The Mask Falls

With the final thud Sasuke had guessed that they had arrived to the Hokage's office. An eerie feeling made it's way along the raven's spine at the thought of being back in his birth-village. Memories of the days before he left flooded his mind, the planning and preparation he secretly did, the happy looks and times he shared with Naruto and Sakura before he left, the hours he spent meditating trying to crush any and all emotions that plagues his mind. Damn, he was beginning to feel guilty and Uchiha's don't feel guilty.

"OPEN IT!" bellowed a voice that jolted him out of his nostalgia.

With a crack and the tearing of many seals, he waited until just the right moment. As he mentally prepared his escape a sudden barrage of jabs all over his body rendered it useless.

Two pairs of arms encircled his own and sat him in front of the Hokage. He glared at the woman behind the desk. He watched as a smirk carved its way onto her age deceiving face.

"SQUAD 7! Congratulations on bringing back Uchiha Sasuke."

"So whatcha gonna do with him baa-chan?" inquired the blonde fox on his right.

"I think we should execute him." replied a cold and indifferent voice.

Two pairs of eyes began to dance between Kakashi and the Hokage.

"As much as I agree with you, unfortunately the counsel has opted to have his strength stripped away and have him placed under Kakashi's gua..."

"WHAT? Why is he going to stay with Kakashi-sensei? I can watch over him just fine. If he tries to run off again, it wouldn't be that hard to beat his already beaten ass again!" wailed Naruto. Despite being next in line to become Hokage and her apprentice, he was rarely in-tuned to the 5th's thoughts.

"First of all, you weren't the only or even the main one to defeat him and secondly, Sasuke is smart and can sneak away from you before you even know it. Besides, he can help Kakashi's new genin team and live out his probation period doing some good, not like he can do much else with his power stripped away." Her eyes narrowed as the blonde fox opened his lips to complain.

"He also needs to be watched by someone whose only ability isn't to be able to eat ramen while in a comatose state!" the Hokage stated, ending the argument. No matter how strong or clever Naruto thought he was, wits, brawn, and stupid "_luck_" aren't going to solve everything. The Hokage sighed at the many memories of him crashing through her ceiling from failed attempt at spying, the most recent time was less than a month ago. She watched as the future Hokage glared at his former mentor and wondered how could someone so powerful and stupid catch someone like Sasuke in the first place?

"SQUAD 7! Report how you were able to capture Uchiha Sasuke and how you were able to manage to bring him back!"

"I was the one who captured him Hokage-sama." said a soft, but somehow strong voice. Sasuke mentally shuddered. She had never spoken before him, not even a grunt of pain had left her lips from their many battles. Her voice wasn't all what he expected it to be, but then again, he didn't know what to be expecting at all.

"How?"

"I simply trapped him in a time altering genjutsu before knocking him unconscious."

"Teme fell for a genjutsu?" Naruto half-yelled at everyone in earshot. Although annoying, his shock was valid. Sasuke was an Uchiha. Uchihas were supposed to see through any and all genjustus, just like the Hyuugas.

He, Sasuke Uchiha, had fallen to an elementary level time-altering genjutsu? Even without activating his Sharingan, he was able to see most genjutsus. The others is the room watched as this fact had crushed his lungs along with his pride.

Suddenly his vision was filled with _her_. Mask still annoyingly in place and a sweet, but subtle scent had taken over his surroundings. He was light-headed, that much was for sure, but he didn't know if it was because of her scent, the lack of air to his brain or because of the many pokes he felt from her small fragile looking hands, maybe it was simply his overwhelming hate for her. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. She was doing something to him that the others couldn't see and he was not someone to be played with, especially by a woman like her.

"I've released some of the tenketsu in his neck and chest. It should be easier for him to breathe now." she chimed in front of him behind her mask. He watched as she slowly stood up and walked back to her position.

Sasuke had gained some movement in his neck now and turned to look around the room he hadn't stepped in for years. The dobe was to his immediate right, while Sakura was further back. On the left stood Kakashi, _her,_ and the Plastic Smile. Other than that, everything was just as he remembered it, only many, many more sake bottled littered the floor than before. He smirked at the thought that these might have drunk at word of his capture. Surely this was the only reason the Hokage could come up with such a deluded plan. Strip his power away?

Many shinobi had only dreamed to seal away the power of their enemies and no matter how advanced the Hokage was in the medicinal arts, it was just impossible. Even Orichimaru wasn't able to figure it out, and he was a man who had a sick way of getting what he wanted.

"What's so funny?" questioned the Hokage.

"I was just wondering how you were really going to 'strip' me of my power. If Orichimaru couldn't do it, how can you?"

The Hokage stared in mild shock and amusement. Shock for her twisted former comrade actually didn't get was he wanted especially when it was right in front of him and amusement at the opportunity that lay before her.

"Why don't I just show you?" she said as her hands formed many seals and started rapidly summoning scrolls of different kinds. In under a minute 17 scrolls had littered the floor around Sasuke. 'One for each year of my life' he mused. Before he could blink the Hokage's hands were wrapped around his head, thumbs touching the middle of his forehead.

"This might sting a little." she said with a not too caring tone, but it didn't sting, well not at first anyway. Sasuke felt the Hokage's chakra pour into him steadily, flooding into every region of his being before suddenly receding and taking his strength with it. His body started to prickle all over, as though he had been numb for hours. He felt on his forehead, where the Hokage's thumbs were barely touching, that something was growing. Silently wincing at the head ache that had formed, he had taken liberty to glare at the Hokage while she performed her task. Her eyebrows were pinched in frustration and the mark on her head was as present as...wait, mark?

He stared at the little purple diamond that was placed on her forehead just as her thumbs were placed on his. He had remembered in his time with Orichimaru that the mark was something that came from storing life energy for emergencies. Sasuke's head ache clouded his mind and his consciousness with it. He fought to stay awake before realizing the Hokage's hands had been removed.

Looking up he vaguely saw the Hokage handing a tiny scroll to _her_ before he, once again, slipped away into oblivion.

* * *

Naruto eyed his unconscious cargo on the floor. While watching the Hokage do her thing, he saw Sasuke's skin become paler, not that he thought it was possible, and now his extremely white friend lay in a sweaty mess at his feet.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing much, I just locked his chakra network from the inside and then took away most of his physical strength." she huffed.

Naruto eyed the 5th curiously. He knew she must have used the same life storing technique she used on her self, but it looked like she did more than just that. His bright blue eyes then moved to the scroll that was in his teammate's hand.

"Then what's the scroll for?" he asked.

"None of your business Naruto. Kakashi, get this boy back to your home, but make sure you leave all his weapons here. Sakura, the hospital is extremely under-staffed, go there immediately. The rest of you can return home and rest up until I call for you again."

The Hokage pinched the bridge of her nose trying to will away her own headache. 'I'm getting too old for this.' she thought. She looked thoughtfully out the window as a familiar speck of yellow appeared. Naruto had many years of grooming before she could even think of retiring. With a deep sigh, she began pouring over mission reports hoping that everything would turn out for the best.

* * *

A cold slap had awaken him. The first thing he saw was a smiling eye that he hadn't met in years.

"Well Sasuke, she really got you, didn't she?" Kakashi laughed as he ruffled the boy's hair.

"Where am I?"

"My place, I'm pretty sure you heard what the Hokage had planned for you. Now this will be your room...unless you wanna sleep in my bed." he mused.

Sasuke snarled in return. His former sensei was still filled with as much nonsense as ever. He tried getting up, but was soon knocked back down by the dizziness in his head.

"Oh, yeah, don't try to get up for a while. She really did a number on you."

His brows scrunched further. If Kakashi knew who _she_ was, he might be able to get it out of him. No way was he getting around this former ANBU captain, so he decided to take the Naruto route, as he fondly named it, and ask directly.

"Who is she?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi turned to look at his former pupil. A smirk pulled at his lips.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"I believe that's why I asked the question. Now, tell me who she is!" he demanded. He wasn't going to let Kakashi play mind games with him, he was too smart for that.

"Whose who?" asked the blonde fox from the doorway.

"He wants to know who was the one that captured him."

"Oh, you mean..." Naruto paused. He looked over to the raven who was now glaring at him.

"Why does do you want to know?"

"Because I am going to destroy her." he huffed. Naruto was seriously pissing him off. All he wanted was a name so he could attach a face, snap a neck and break a life. Was that too much to ask for?

"Well your smart, you'll figure it out. Anyway, the old lady wants you to have your physical done today."

"In case you haven't noticed, I can't move."

"Y-you d-don't have to m-move." stuttered a small, but vaguely familiar voice. A small indigo head peeked out from behind Naruto. Long hair fell to frame a small pale face while a light pink blush dusted her face as lavender eyes peeked at his obsidian. With his heated glare on her, the pixie-like girl quickly averted her eyes to the floor. He began to evaluate her body. His brows furrowed as he saw a mass of baggy clothes on her and a hetai around her neck. Was she really a konoichi? Was she really a Hyuuga? The lack of seal showed she was of the main branch, so wasn't she suppose to hold her head high?

She shifted under his increasing glare and mumbled under her breath. It was painfully obvious this girl had little to no self esteem. He was soon growing disgusted by her and her spineless behavior.

"Who are you?" he asked the girl. She looked back at him with a slightly offended look on her face. Did he know her before? He doubted she fought him before. Someone as weak as her would never survive a battle with him.

"Baka! How could you not remember Hinata-chan?" said Naruto. "I-it's okay Naruto-kun, U-uchiha-san and I n-never really t-talked before." said Hinata in a hushed whisper.

"Still, you think the great prodigy of the rookie nine would remember his comrades...or is the stick so far up his ass that he forgot?" mocked Naruto.

It was very obvious to Sasuke that Hinata was someone important to the dobe. He narrowed his eyes at her again and watched as she slunk further behind the blonde fox boy.

"Come now Hime-sama, the Hokage wouldn't like it very much if you took this long to perform a simple physical." came a smooth silky voice from the still opened doorway.

It took Sasuke all his remaining strength to keep from gagging as the Plastic smile joined the growing crowd in Kakashi's small home. He watched as inky black eyes slithered over Hinata and the blush continue to grow on her face. There was an obvious relation between the two, but he didn't care.

"Sai! I thought the Hokage told you to rest..." questioned the fox.

"Not really much of a fight to rest from." he glanced at Sasuke before continuing with a smirk "The only sweat broken was from the run there and back."

Sasuke was pissed. Not only was he taken down by a mere woman, now he was being smirked at by this imitation!

"Must be in pretty bad shape if you break a sweat at all from just running..." he growled. He did not like this Sai person and he wanted everyone to know.

"P-please. E-everyone, let's j-just try and c-calm down. U-uchiha-san I need you to hold st-still while I t-take your m-measurements." Sasuke almost forgot Hinata was even there, he stutter annoyed him, he baggy clothes annoyed him, the trembling small pale hands that came towards him annoyed him. He came to a conclusion, nothing was more annoying in this world than this girl.

When her hands touched him, they were unusually soft. He normally would expect any girls hands to be soft, but not like hers. He almost couldn't feel them at all and he wondered if she was really there. He reached forward and grabbed her collar only to recieve a gasp and shock as pearlescent eyes widened and stared into his own.

"Y-y-y-yes? I-is there s-somthing wr-wrong, U-uchiha-san?"

His brows furrowed, "Are you really a kunoichi?" he asked.

The shock in her eyes changed from surprise and fear to shock and ... anger? She slapped his hand away with surprising ease. Her eyes hardened and the veins around them grew. One by one with amazing speed she had closed most of his tenketsu and wrapped up his physical in under a minute. She stood taller than when she came in and looked down on him in more than one way. He looked at her dumb-founded, was this really the same girl? Did he set her off? Why did she seem so familiar?

"Not only am I a konoichi..." she began, her stutter long forgotten "I am the same one that handed you your ass."

She moved swiftly passed the group of amused men and walked out the door leaving a shocked Sasuke, his smirking teacher and replacement and a hysterical Naruto.

"By the way, Hinata is the one who captured you." Kakashi mused before entering leaving to his room with orange book in hand.

"The look on you face! PRICELESS!" laughed the blonde fox rolling on the floor. Sasuke glared at him until his laughter died down and he layed there catching his breath. The fox stood and made to leave before stopping and turning to the seething raven. "I suggest you don't mess with her man. Oh! And watch out for Kakashi's kids, there little monsters compared to us." He flashed Sasuke a huge grin receiving a scowl in returned and made his leave.

"You know..." Sasuke turned the man leaning against the wall beside him. The man (Sai was it?) was wearing the same creepy smile he had when Sasuke first met him. "What?" growled the raven.

"He's right about not messing with Hime-sama, but for more reasons than you think." The smile gone he turned to Sasuke. "Don't go near her, she's not the only one that can 'hand you your ass.'" He smirked while making a hand sign and poofed out the room leaving behind a very confused and very angry Sasuke.

* * *

'So she's the one who did this to me.' Sasuke continued to stare at the door that she had left through hours after the fact as if blaming it for allowing her in there in the first place.

'I never would have believed it if she never put on that little show, but what was up with the stuttering and trembling?' He scowled, realizing that even though he knew who she was she still plagued his mind with her existence.

'What are you doing to me Hyuuga?'

He glanced around his "room". No windows, no clocks, small closet an ugly plant and... he scowled. Next to his bedside on the small nightstand was the picture from his genin years. His former sensei's hand resting on his and Naruto's heads while the were frowning at each other with a smiling Sakura in the middle.

Still weak from his second onslaught from the Hyuuga female he raised a shaky hand and turned the picture face-down.

Now was not the time for reminiscing.

He had a name, he had a face, he has a chance, now all he needs is a plan.

He layed in bed and stared at the ceiling. He smirked. Oh yes, he had a plan.

* * *

**A/N:** so today I took the SATs for the second time -_-

I don't think i did any better than last time so I threw myself into this story. I'm also rereading some very inspiring fanfictions you might wanna look up such as "The Debut" (gaa/hina), "The Ties That Bind Us" (sasu/hina), "A Matter of Honor and Debt" (ita/hina), "Ruby Slide" (ita/hina), "Verbal Confessions" (gaa/hina), or "A Traitor Branded" all of them by Catriana, an amazing author whose stories I love! The first and last 2 come highly recommended!

On a different note, yes I have read Nezumi and it did take the path I was going on in my story, 'cept for Sasuke being an ass and a pig and everything being so much cooler with the scarves and stuff. -_-

Now I'm psyching myself out, gotta start preping for the ACTs on OCT. 22nd, that's probably when my next trying-to-cheer-myself-up chapter will be posted. (no promises) :^D


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